


I’ll always be there watching over you

by orphan_account



Category: Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:51:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day Arthur discovers he has a (sort of but not really) fairy godmother who has been watching him since he was a child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I’ll always be there watching over you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_alchemist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_alchemist/gifts).



“Arthur, get back in here this instant!”

He let out a frustrated whine when he heard his nanny calling him. How did she realize he was missing so fast? The mess Arthur made of his afternoon snack should’ve kept her busy until at least half past. It was clear that he had underestimated Nanny Jacqueline.

“Little Prince if you are not back here by the time I count to five I will inform your mother and father of the trouble you gave me today!”

Arthur rolled his eyes because he knew she wouldn’t bother his parents. They were the king and queen and had much bigger problems to deal with than an unruly child.

“One!”

He laughed.

“Two!”

There was no way Nanny Jacqueline was telling the truth. She was bluffing.

“Three!”

Arthur started to squirm. What if, by chance, she did tell his parents?

“Four! Last chance, Arthur!”

He jumped to his feet without a second thought and ran out of his hiding place. “I’m sorry Nanny! Please don’t tell Mother and Father!”

She playfully ruffled his blond curls and nodded her head back towards the castle. “Back inside with you. You need to start on your lessons.”

Arthur groaned. “Why do you think I was hiding? I hate maths!”

“Yes, but if you are going to grow up and rule the kingdom one day you need to be prepared!” Jacqueline pointed out with a smile.

“How is maths supposed to help me run a kingdom?”

“Arthur, inside!”

He pouted but reluctantly followed his nanny inside. It appeared that Arthur wasn’t going to be able to get out of his lessons for the day. For the remainder of the day he looked longingly out the window and repeatedly got scolded which made Arthur dislike his lessons even more.

“Nanny, could we skip morning lessons tomorrow and go out to the garden?” Arthur asked as she was tucking him in for the night. He hadn’t dared mention it at dinner for fear of Nanny Jacqueline tattling about his behavior earlier that afternoon but Arthur decided now was a safe time to ask.

“If we go out tomorrow morning you have to promise no silly games,” Jacqueline said firmly. “Is it a deal?”

Arthur grinned and held out his hand. “It’s a deal!”

He went to sleep with this feeling of excitement deep inside and it was still there when Arthur woke up in the morning. “Nanny, wake up! It’s morning!” Arthur shouted.

Arthur giggled at when Nanny Jacqueline started giggling. While he waited he shuffled out onto the balcony and looked at the garden below. He started to lean over the railing in order to get a better look but Arthur quickly pulled away when an unfamiliar voice shouted at him.

“Get back silly child! Do you want to fall?”

“Who are you?” Arthur looked around but couldn’t see the person that had called to him.

The voice laughed. “My name is not important.”

Arthur frowned but accepted the answer. “Where are you?”

“You children are always full of questions,” they muttered before stepping out from behind the curtains.

“How did you get there?”

“More questions!”

Arthur studied the figure that had stepped out from behind the curtain. It was obvious they were male but their ears were pointed with the skin an unnatural hue.

“Can I ask one more question?”

He sighed. “I suppose but hurry up. I have better things to do then answering questions.”

“What are you?” Arthur asked, curiosity shining in his eyes. “Are you an elf?”

“An elf?” he hissed. “I am no elf.”

Arthur frowned again. “What are you then?”

“I’m your fairy godmother.”

“Come on!” Arthur laughed. “What are you really?”

“A humble and clever imp who wants to make sure you don’t get killed anytime soon you little fool,” he explained.

“Imp, I’m the crown Prince! I am no fool!” Arthur protested.

The imp grinned. “Royals make the biggest fools of all.”

“I am no fool!” Arthur was shouting now as if he had forgotten Jacqueline wasn’t on her way to his room.

“Then why were you leaning over the banister? You could’ve easily fallen!” The Imp scolded. “You know I am right.”

He felt his cheeks darken. “I wasn’t going to fall.”

“Yes, because you know all Little Prince.”

Arthur blinked. “Nanny calls me that.”

“I know,” he then sighed. “And before you ask I know because I’ve been watching you a long time.”

“So you are like a fairy godmother!” he shouted confidently. “Are you mine?”

The Imp’s lips twitched almost like he wanted to smile but wouldn’t allow it. “I suppose I am in a way but only because I refuse to disappear completely.”

Arthur wanted to ask what he meant but then he heard Nanny Jacqueline calling him. “I’m out here, Nanny!”

When he turned back around the Imp was gone. Arthur looked around all over but he couldn’t find the Imp. How had he gotten away so quickly?

“Arthur, what are you doing out there? Come back inside!” Jacqueline said.

“I’m sorry, Nanny. I’m just excited that we get to go outside to the garden today.”

He hurriedly dressed in his day clothes and impatiently waited for Nanny Jacqueline to dress. Once she was dressed he pulled her outside which was when Arthur got to work. He looked all over for the Imp but no matter how hard Arthur tried he still couldn’t find him.

“Arthur, what are you doing?”

“Nothing!”

He snickered when his Nanny nodded and turned around. She was so easily fooled!

“Well finish up and come sit over here with me. It’s time for breakfast.”

The sound of breakfast encouraged Arthur to temporarily stop his search. It was a common occurrence for him to eat most of his meals with his nanny. The only meal he ate with his parents was dinner and sometimes they were so busy the pair didn’t join them.

After he was done Arthur went back to looking for the Imp but it was pointless. For the next few weeks he searched high and low because Arthur wanted to see him again. He didn’t see the imp until weeks later.

“You know the point of studying is to actually take the words in.”

He had been in the middle of his lessons when Arthur heard that familiar voice. It caused him to jump up and grin.

“Imp, I looked all over for you! Where have you been?”

The Imp shrugged. “Here, there, and everywhere.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Arthur pouted.

“And to think I had almost forgotten you and your questions!” he muttered. “Sometimes, not asking questions gets you the answer you need.”

“How?”

“A question!”

Arthur huffed but considered his next words carefully. “I thought you would never come back.”

“I am always around. You just don’t notice.”

“I notice!” Arthur protested. “I just never said anything that’s all.”

The Imp chuckled. “I doubt that is the case Little Prince but I will allow you the benefit of the doubt.”

Arthur glanced at his books and knew he should get back to them but this was much more interesting than his annoying history lessons. “You said you were always around.”

“Yes, on and off since you were but a baby. I only now made my presence known to you.”

Arthur nodded. “I bet you were lonely because you were spending all that time watching me.”

“I said I watched you on and off. I didn’t spend every waking moment of my day watching you because even I am not that strange,” the Imp muttered with a roll of his eyes. “I had to make myself known that day because you were close to falling.”

“I was not!” Arthur crossed his arms over his chest.

“You were because I saw it.” The Imp then tapped his eyes.

It took a minute but when Arthur realized it his eyes widened in excitement. “You’re a seer?”

“No, Little Prince.” He laughed. “I simply know how foolish young royals like you can get. You think you are invincible.”

Arthur wanted to ask another question but he knew how the Imp felt about questions. The more time he spent around the Imp the more Arthur realized this. He would sneak around to meet with him every few days which was difficult with Nanny Jacqueline always around. 

He always found a way though.

~*~

The years slowly passed and the Imp continued visiting him but never on the most important day of his life. It was his fourteenth birthday when the Imp first visited him on a birthday. He appeared on the balcony early in the morning and Arthur knew it was him when he heard the knocking at the window.

Arthur ran out of bed when he heard the sound. He quietly pushed open the doors and rushed out onto the balcony. “Imp! I’m fourteen today.”

“I know.”

“This is the first time you’ve ever visited me on a birthday,” Arthur accused. “Did you get me a birthday present?”

The Imp smiled. “What would you like?”

“Your name?”

He hadn’t asked for the Imp’s name since the first time he came around but Arthur was curious. It would also be a wonderful birthday present because he was sick of calling him the Imp. There had to be a name to that strange but friendly face.

“I suppose you do deserve a name.” the Imp muttered.

“Well?” Arthur insisted. “What is your name?”

“My name is Rumpelstiltskin.”

“Rumpelstiltskin? That’s a weird name.”

He lifted a brow. “Excuse me?”

Arthur grinned and chose not to give that question a response. “Thank you for telling me your name.”

“You’re welcome.”

The birthday of his fourteen year was spent without his parents. There was always the excuse that they were busy running the kingdom (which was a valid excuse admittedly) but it was lonely. 

“Did you have a nice birthday, Arthur?” Jacqueline asked later that night.

She was his brother’s nanny rather than his now but Arthur still thought of her fondly. She was the one who had practically raised him.

“I did get a great present,” Arthur boasted.

“Was it the horse or the new set of bows and arrows you got?” She chuckled.

He grinned. “A name.”

“A name? What name?”

“I can’t tell you, Nanny. It’s a secret.” Arthur knew that he couldn’t reveal the name but he also didn’t want too.

She smiled. “You’re old enough to understand the value in secrets so I’ll let it go.”

The next two birthdays featured visits by Rumpelstiltskin and Arthur received less interesting birthday presents than his name. Still, the prince appreciated the gesture. It was on Arthur’s eighteenth birthday when the imp didn’t show up which was different because the past few years he had visited him.

“Rumpelstiltskin?” Arthur called out in a hushed tone. He received no response and called out his name louder.

The third time he shouted his former nanny ran into the room with this horrified expression on her face. “Arthur, stop shouting that name this instant!”

“What are you talking about?” Arthur asked.

“How do you know that name?”

Arthur refused to answer and took a step back when Nanny Jacqueline (well former) approached him suddenly. “I don’t understand. Why are you acting so strangely?”

“You should never say that name! Ever!” She sounded crazed and scared. “Arthur, you must speak to your parents now! Go to their room this instant.”

“They just woke up-“

“Arthur, please!”

The confrontation with his parents was unexpected and in the beginning Arthur didn’t understand why they were reacting the way they did until they told him everything. It began with his mother’s less than humble beginnings to her giving birth to him.

He returned to his room shocked and angry. There were guards posted outside his room as well as on the balcony before he went to bed. Sometime that night Arthur heard that familiar voice.

“I take it they told you?”

“You could have told me the truth,” Arthur snapped.

He nodded. “I wanted too but the more time that passed the harder it became.”

“Why? Arthur choked out. He was trying to keep his voice soft because if those guards caught wind of it they would run right in.

“You know how I feel about questions.”

He swallowed. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me the whole truth.”

“Arthur, your mother and I had a deal. I helped her and I expected the same from her but she betrayed me,” Rumpelstiltskin explained. “My intention in asking for her first born child might seem a bit cruel but it seemed like a fair trade if she wanted my help. I wouldn’t have hurt you and would have raised you to the best of my ability.” 

“Did you come back around to steal me?” Arthur spat.

The Imp shook his head. “Your mother won our second deal fair and square.”

“Yet, you stuck around for years.” He couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

“I was curious to see how you turned out and was disappointed to see such a lonely boy. I understand the pressures that come along with running a country but I expected more interaction.” Rumpelstiltskin seemed genuinely concerned (as he always did). It was difficult for Arthur to continue to remain angry at the imp who had always been his friend.

Arthur sighed softly. “My mother was going to give me up?”

“She wanted out of a desperate situation which you can’t blame her for. Also, in the end your mother did change her mind,” Rumpelstiltskin pointed out.

“I’m still angry with you.” Arthur looked straight into the imp’s eyes when he said this to emphasize his point. “I think I can forgive you if you promise me one thing.”

“And what exactly is that Arthur?” he asked.

“Answer my questions from now on and I’ll make sure no one else finds out about you. Do we have a deal?”

Rumpelstiltskin only contemplated it for a moment before smiling. “Deal.”


End file.
